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Friday, 7 November 2014

Human rights campaigners and the National Secular Society
are urging the United Kingdom government to turn down a request
by Bishop David Oyedepo’s church, Winners’ Chapel International, accused
of linking poor discipline to witchcraft, to open an independent school
in Kent.

According to the BBC, Winners’ Chapel
International, which is currently under investigation by the Charity
Commission, wants to open the school at its Dartford site.

“The church, whose leader Bishop David Oyedpo was filmed accusing a woman of being a witch, declined an interview,” reports BBC.

The
organisation, which has its headquarters in Nigeria, is known as Living
Faith Church Worldwide and also Winners’ Chapel International (WCI).

Bishop Oyedepo, its leader in Nigeriahas been shown on YouTube slapping a woman and accusing her of being a witch.

Bishop David Oyedepo of Winners Chapel

His
son David Oyedepo Junior is the pastor at WCI’s European headquarters
in Dartford, where the church organisation wants to open Kingdom
Heritage Model School for children aged four to seven.

But
groups including the National Secular Society (NSS) have raised
concerns amid claims the church links child “disobedience” to witchcraft
– citing the David Oyedepo Ministries website, which states
“disobedience is as terrible as witchcraft”.

Stephen
Evans, from the NSS, told BBC that the Metropolitan Police had
investigated 27 cases of child abuse related to witchcraft this year.

He said: “There’s a need to be vigilant and there’s a need to tackle this.

“You
don’t do this by allowing organisations that believe in witchcraft and
are associated with witch-hunting to open in the UK.”

The
Charity Commission confirmed concerns raised about Winners’ Chapel
International included conflicts of interest and the charity’s financial
management.

In 2011, Bishop Oyedepo’s fortune was estimated at $150m (£94m).

Human
rights activist and Nigerian Humanist Movement founder Leo Igwe said
the church obtained money from its members using what it called a
prosperity-in-gospel narrative.

He said: “They make this money using this narrative and then they use it to establish business, universities, schools.”

The Evangelical Alliance, which represents the UK’s evangelical Christians, said both church and school should be supported.

Spokesman Yemi Adedeji said: “The context of what happens in Nigeria and what happens here is very different.”

“Most parents want their children to go to a faith-based school because of moral issues and I think we must salute that.”

The Department for Education (DfE) said it had received an application and was aware of concerns.

A
spokeswoman said: “All independent schools must meet stringent
standards before they are registered. These include tough rules on
welfare and safeguarding.

“Police intelligence and
criminal record checks are also carried out on the proprietor of the
school, and any links to organisations which suggest the school might
not meet the standards are investigated.”